To Florus 6.40

‘But the spiritual did not come first,’ he says; ‘the animate came first, and then the spiritual. The first human is from earth, earthly; the second human from heaven, heavenly. As we have borne the earthly one’s image, let us also bear the heavenly one’s image’ (1 Corinthians 15:46–47, 49). He plainly turns to our pursuits, wanting the difference between our past and present conduct to be as great as that between mortality and immortality. ‘The first human is from earth, earthly; the second human from heaven, heavenly.’ He uses the names of substances to indicate a difference of purpose.

Christ, whom he calls the heavenly human, did not bring his flesh down from heaven. He received it from David’s seed, from Adam’s seed, and within a woman from a woman’s flesh. ‘Earthly’ and ‘heavenly’ therefore refer to virtues and vices. The next words confirm it: ‘As we have borne the earthly one’s image, let us also bear the heavenly one’s image.’ So also to the Romans: ‘I speak in human terms because of your flesh’s weakness. Just as you presented your members to serve uncleanness and lawlessness toward lawlessness, now present your members to serve justice toward sanctification’ (Romans 6:19).

Following the course of his exhortation, he adds something that, unless understood, will seem to overthrow all he has said: ‘I say this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot possess God’s kingdom, nor will decay possess everlasting life’ (1 Corinthians 15:50). In these very passages he has labored only to establish flesh’s resurrection, saying it would be placed in the kingdom’s glory. Now he pronounces that flesh and blood cannot possess God’s kingdom. If flesh cannot possess it and blood cannot possess it, where is the resurrection of the dead whose splendor he has been setting forth above? But, following Scripture’s usage, he calls vices, not substance, ‘flesh and blood.’

He makes this very point clear: ‘Look, I tell you a mystery: we shall all rise, but we shall not all be changed’ (1 Corinthians 15:51). The outstanding teacher understood that above he had reserved the word resurrection for future blessedness alone. Therefore, to remove ambiguity, he explains: ‘We shall all rise’—here is the common raising; ‘but we shall not all be changed’—here is the blessed’s resurrection. Change into glory is owed only to those who deserve God’s love rather than his anger.

‘In a moment,’ he says, ‘in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet, the dead will rise incorruptible, and we shall be changed’ (1 Corinthians 15:52). Here again he turns to the saints whom that day will find in the flesh. He says that in a moment as brief as the final ending of a sound, those who had died will be raised incorruptible—that is, whole—and those found alive will be changed into glory.

‘For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. When this mortal has put on immortality, then the written saying will happen: Death has been swallowed up into your victory. Where, death, is your sting? Where is your victory? Death’s sting is sin, and sin’s power is the law’ (1 Corinthians 15:53–56; compare Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 13:14).

He shows, as often, that he speaks only of the saints’ resurrection. Passing over the ungodly’s raising, he pronounces it fitting that in the saints’ bodies corruptibility should be swallowed by everlasting glory. When this is fulfilled, he says, it will be possible to taunt the devil and perpetual death, which made this natural corruption seem evil. Then the saints’ joys will rebuke it, seeing that they have crushed death’s sting, and will say: ‘Where, death, is your sting? Where is your victory? Death’s sting is sin, and sin’s power is the law.’

That is: Eternal death, you had sin as a sting with which to wound deserters of justice. Had you not been armed with this sting—that is, voluntary sin—you would have harmed no one at all. You see this sin and this sting broken by faith’s strength. Our reward bears witness, the reward from which you tried to lead us away. Your sting was sin, and the power of your sin was the law, because ‘where there is no law, neither is there transgression’ (Romans 4:15).

Or, certainly, although sin was your sting, it became stronger—only in transgressors’ minds—after the death threatened by the law was brought to it. Yet the law was not given to sharpen it. ‘The law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good. But sin, to appear sin, produced death in me through the good, so that sin itself might become exceedingly sinful through the commandment’ (Romans 7:12–13).

This strength your sting gained through the assistance of our voluntary iniquity is now proved defeated and broken by believers’ virtues and believers’ crowns. We therefore taunt you, ‘giving thanks to our God, who gave us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57).